Fuse assembly having pivotally and slidably mounted insulating member in one of its fuse clips



3,194,926 ASSEMBLY HAVING PIVOTALLY AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED INSULATING MEMBER IN ONE OF ITS FUSE C Filed May 51, 1961 LIPS G. USTIN July 13, 1965 FUSE 2 Sheets-Sheet l 33m jnm ZJ 5' mm m 2 I 2 2 l 0 III.

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FUSE ASSEMBLY HAVING PIVOTALLY AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED INSULATING MEMBER IN ONE OF ITS FUSE CLIPS Filed May 51, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 66 74 H8 '26 i; 94 h 50 80 72 0 I02 54 105 82 6 E2 I z 90 g 4 36 84 NO I I08 92 6o 54 4 65 62 To 22 \24 96 1282 rLlw I28 7/"6 36 /IO as -so 5s 58 5s r] 56 W 26 2s 2s United States Patent 3,194,926 FUSE ASSEMBLY HAVING PIVOTALLY AND SLIDAELY MOUNTED INSULATING MEM- BER IN ONE 01* ITS FUSE CLIPS;

George Ustin, Verona, N..I., assignor to Buchanan Electrical Products Corporation, Hillside, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 31, 1961, Ser. No. 113,834 Claims. (Cl. 200-133) This invention relates to special purpose electrical terminal blocks and particularly to an improved construction for a fuse type sectional terminal block.

In many electrical installations manually replaceable fuses are preferred, for economic and other reasons, to circuit breakers as line protective devices. One of the more common type fuse installations conventionally includes, per line, a pair of spaced generally U-shaped spring clip members mounted on an insulating base and sized to releasably engage the terminal portions of a tubularly shaped fuse member inserta-ble therein and a pair of discrete binding posts for connecting the current carrying leads to said spring clip members. Utilization of such type tubular fuse installations, and particularly in the smaller sizes thereof, often presents difficulties in fuse removal and insertion and the continual hazard of electrical shock due to inadvertent contact with the hot side spring clip or with adjacent exposed metallic current carrying elements in electrical contact therewith.

This invention may be briefly described as an improved construction for a simple and inexpensive fuse type seetional terminalblock wherein fuse removaland insertion can be readily effected without hazard of inadvertent electrical shock and which includes, in its broad aspects, provision of a manually pivotable, insulated fuse holder mounted on a sectional terminal block that obviates the need for manual contact with the fuse element at any location in proximity to a potential carrying member.

Among the advantages of the present invention is the provision of an inexpensive, sectional terminal block mounted unit that facilitates fuse insertion and removal and which eliminates, for practical purposes, the hazards of electrical shock occasioned by inadvertentcontact with potential carrying components thereof. Still another advantage is the permitted assembly of a plurality of such units in parallel array with each individual unit thereof being separated from adjoining units by an interposed insulating Wall sized to minimize inadvertent contact with potential carrying elements disposed therebetween. A further advantage is a construction that permits easy assembly of the unit without utilization of discrete fastening devices.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an improved fuse type sectional terminal blockconstruction;

Other objects and advantages will be set forth in the following portion of this specification and will be apparent from the accompanying drawings which illustrate a presently preferred embodiment of a fuse type terminal block construction incorporating the principles of this invention.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a rear elevation of a terminal block unit incorporating the principles of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of an interfitting assemblage of two of the sectional terminal block units incorporating the principles of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to the FIGURE 4 but with the fuse holder in open or displaced position.

3,l-i,2ii Patented July 13, 19%35 FIGURE 6 is an end elevation of the assembled unit illustrated in FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings, the subject fuse type sectional terminal block construction includes a generally L-shaped insulating housing member, unitarily formed, as by molding, of rigid insulatin material, suitably an insulating plastic material or hard rubber. The L-shaped insulating housing member is integrally shaped to provide a rectangular vertically disposed separating wall portion generally designated iii and a horizontally disposed generally rectangular base portion, generally designated 12. As best shown in FIGURE 6, the base portion 12 is selectively shaped to provide an upwardly disposed electrical element assembly supporting surface 14, a flat basal surface 16 disposed substantially parallel and in spaced relation thereto and complementally shaped interfitting front and rea surfaces, generally designated 13, 2t} to permit interlocking assembly of a plurality of units with the separating wall portions thereof disposed in parallel spaced array. More specifically, the front surface 18 is provided with an upwardly disposed selectively shaped extending ledge or shoulder 22 overhanging an undercut recess The rear surface 2i) is complementally shaped to provide an interfitting upper recess 25 sized and shaped to receive the shoulder 22 of an adjacent unit and a lower extending ledge or shoulder 28 sized and shaped to be received in the undercut recess 2-4 of the adjacent unit. Easy alignment of adjacently disposed units is facilitated by integral boss 32 being inserted intoa complementally sized boss receiving recess in the rear surface shoulder 22 of the adjacent unit.

In. order to provide'for the enclosure of the end element in a series of interlitted units which would otherwise only be bounded on one side by a separating Wall member, there is also provided, as illustrated in FIG- URE 6, an end plate mounting member 34. The end plate mounting member 34 is provided with a vertical wall portion 36 and a base portion 38. The bass portion 38 is providedwith a rear surface 1% shaped to complementally interfit with the front surface it of the heretofore described insulating housing member and a front surface 4d shaped to provide an exposed positioning meniber receiving recess 42. The exposed positioning membcr receiving recess 42, in cooperation with the exposed boss receiving recess 3 8 on the rear surface of the last unit in any interfitting series thereof, conveniently provide for terminal securement of any such interfitting series of one or more units to a panel or other basal mounting unit.

Mounted at one end of the upper surface 14 of the base portion 12 is the hot orpotential carrying line fuse clip assembly. Such fuse clip assembly, which may take yarious forms, suitably includes a binding post fill, conveniently athreaded bolt, a strap or bus member 52 electrically connected therewith and a fuse holding spring clip member, generally designated 54, electrically connected to said strap and disposed in'predetermined spaced relation with said binding post. A preferred constructron is that illustrated wherein the strap member '52 is provided at one end with a raised portion 56 threadedly bored to receive the bolt 50'with an interposed U-shaped conducting washer 58 disposed between the bolt head and the strap surface. As shown, a suitable recessed channel 60 is provided in the upper surface 14 of the base portion 12 to accommodate advance of the bolt 50 and to rfaollitate assembly as hereinafter described. Secured as by a rivet dZto theunderside of the other end of the strap 52 is the basal connecting rib of the upwardly open U-shaped base portion 64 of the spring clip member 54. A suitable recessed channel 65 is provided in the upper surface 14 of the b'aseportion 12 to accommodate such unit and to facilitate assembly as hereinafter described.

The side walls 66 of the spring clip base portion 64 are spaced apart a predetermined distance for reasons explained hereinafter and the basal connecting rib 68 disposed therebetween, and beneath the strap 52, extends, as at 711, a predetermined distance beyond the end of said strap 52. The upper ends of the U-shaped base portion '64 of the spring clip member 54 are conventionally expanded into an upwardly open generally circular configuration 72 with outwardly flared ends 74 to releasably receive and compressively retain the cylindrically shaped terminal end portion 76 of a tubular fuse member 78.

As illustrated, the vertically disposed separating wall is provided with an inwardly extending rib 811 whose dependent edge defines a retaining shoulder 82 positioned to at least partially overlie the portion of the strip 52 disposed intermediate the binding post 50 and the spring clip 54. The upper surface 14 of the base portion 12 of the housing is centrally provided with a raised platform 84 having an undercut edge 86 defining a recess sized to receive the extension 71 of the basal connecting rib portion 68 of the spring clip member 54 and, in conjunction with the shoulder 82, as described above, serves to securely position the hot line fuse clip assembly. In addition to positioning such fuse clip assembly without the aid of a discrete fastening device, such construction permits prefabrication of the fuse clip assembly and simple and ready assembly of said clip assembly on the housing member.

The cold line fuse clip construction is essentiall similar to the hot line fuse clip assembly described above and includes a binding post 90 mounted at one end of a strap or bus 92 and a fuse receiving spring clip member 94 mounted at the other end thereof. Suitable channeled recesses 96 and 98 are provided to accommodate the binding post bolt 90 and the rivet 100 and permit assembly by disposition of the strap 92 beneath the shoulder 162 of the protruding rib 103 and disposition of the spring clip extension 104 within the undercut recess 106 at the end of the raised central platform 84.

As best shown in FIGURES3 to 5, the cold side fuse receiving spring clip member 94 has a U-shaped base portion 108 the side walls of which are provided with longitudinally disposed slots 110. The slots 110 are sized to receive and accommodate the horizontally extending pin portion 112 of the base 114 of a pivotally mounted fuse holding member 116, formed of suitable insulating material. As illustrated, the fuse holding member 116 is provided with a base portion 114 sized to underlie a tubular fuse 78 and having a pair of dependent legs or standards 118, 120 sized to engage and be supported upon the upper surface of the raised platform 84 when said base portion 114 is disposed in parallel proximity thereto. The base 114 is provided with an integral forwardly directed extension or fuse lifting arm 122 sized to be contained within the arms of the U-shaped base portion of the hot side spring clip member 54 and a rearwardly directed, downwardly angled extension 124 sized to be contained within the arms of the U-shapcd base portion of the cold side spring clip member 94. As best illustrated in FIGURE 4, the dependent end of the rear extension 124 is disposed in abutting relation to the upper surface of the cold side strap 92 and serves as a fulcrum point for the hereinafter described pivotal displacement of said fuse holding member 116. Integral with the portions of the base 114 disposed intermediate the spring clip members 54 and 94 is a tubular fuse re ceiving body portion 126 provided with a readily accessable operating shoulder 128 extending from the upper surface thereof and an extending fuse engaging extension or fuse depressing arm 130 sized to be at least partially containable within the outwardly flared edge 74 of the open end of the hot side spring clip 54.

In operation of the described unit, the cold side binding post 99 is adapted to be electrically connected to the load to which electrical power is to be delivered and the potential carrying or hot line will be connected to the hot side binding post 50. Fuse insertion is effected by pivotally displacing the fuse holding member 116 from the closed position illustrated in FIGURE 3, wherein the fuse lifting arm 122 is disposed within the arms of the U-shaped base portion of the hot side spring clip 54, the base 114 is supported on the raised central platform 84 and the extending pins 112 are positioned in spaced relation to the upper ends of the slots in the cold side spring clip member 94, to the open position illustrated in FIGURE 5 wherein said fuse holding member 116 is positioned remote from the hot side spring clip 54 and with the pin 112 positioned in the upper reaches of the slots 110 in the cold side spring clip member 94. Such is readily effected by a manual lifting pressure applied to the exposed operating shoulder 128 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 3. Such pressure results in an upward pivotal displacement of said fuse holding member 116 due to the disposition of the pins 112 in the slots 110 in the cold side spring clip member 94 and the fulcrum point afforded by the engagement of the dependent end of the rear extension 124 with th upper surface of the cold side strap 92 to the open posi tion illustrated in FIGURE 5. A tubular fuse 78 is then manually inserted into the tubular body portion 126 an the terminal end 132 thereof is manually pressed into partially inserted engagement with the cold side spring clip 94. With the fuse 78 so positioned, a downward manual pressure upon the upper exposed surface of the shoulder 128 will effect a counterclockwise (-as viewed in FIG- URE 5) pivotal displacement of the fuse holding member 116 and fuse 78 mounted thereon. Such rotational displacement will cause the extending fuse depressing arm to press downwardly on the fuse terminal 76 and effect its introduction into the hot side spring clip 54 with the par-ts assuming a rest position as shown in FIGURE 4.

Fuse replacement is effected by displacing the fuse holding member 116 in the clockwise direction by manual lifting pressure applied to the shoulder 128 until member 116 and the contained fuse 78 assume the position shown in FIGURE 5. Since, when in such position, the fuse 78 has been disconnected from the hot side line, manual removal thereof and replacement with a new fuse can be readily effected without any hazard of electrical shock.

As will be apparent to those skilled in this art, the above described and illustrated structure readily achieves the objects and advantages set forth in the opening portion of this specification.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A fuse assembly for a tubular type fuse member having a cylindrically shaped body portion and a pair of terminal end portions, said assembly comprising an insulating member having a supporting surface, first and second aligned, spaced-apart clips each including a base portion mounted on said surface and a pair of spring metal legs extending away from said surface from said base portion to form a U-shaped spring clip member, said U-shaped spring clip members positioned releasably to engage the terminal end portions of said fuse member, the legs of said U-shaped clip member of said second clip having confronting grooves elongated longitudinally of said legs, and an insulating sleeve member having a portion to encircle the body portion of said fuse member and having laterally extending projections slidably and pivotally engaging said grooves and an extension slidably engaging said base portion on the opposite side of said projections from said fuse member encirculing portion, so that as said sleeve member is displaced from a first location in which said fuse member encircling portion is disposed intermediate said clips and said projections are spaced from the ends of said grooves remote from said base portion of said second clip to a second location remote from the first location, said extension will slide on said base portion of said second clip thereby causing said projections to slide in said grooves away from said base portion of said second clip.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said sleeve member has a manually accessible grasping means disposed remote from said clips for effecting selective manipulative displacement thereof.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said sleeve member has first and second extended arm portions disposed remote from said second clip, said first extended arm portion sized to be received between the spring metal legs of said first clip and to underlie one terminal end port-ion of said fuse member and said second extended arm portion sized to overlie the last-mentioned terminal end portion of said fuse member.

4. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said grooves are substantially perpendicular to said base portion of said second clip.

5. A fuse type sectional terminal block assembly fo the interposition of a tubular fuse member having a cylindrically shaped body portion and a pair of terminal end portions between a potential carrying line and a load to be protected, said assembly comprising a hon-sing of insulating material having a vertically disposed wall portion and a horizontally disposed base portion having an upwardly facing supporting surface and complementally shaped front and rear surfaces to interfit with adjacent housing units, a first clip connectable to said potential carrying line, a second clip aligned with and spaced from said first clip and connectable to said load, each of said clips including a base portion mounted on said supporting surface and a pair of spring metal legs extending upwardly away from said surface from said base portion to form a U-shaped spring clip member, said U- shaped spring clip members positioned releasably to engage the terminal end portions of said fuse member, the legs of said U-shaped clip member of said second clip having grooves elongated longitudinally of said legs, and an insulating sleeve member having a portion to encircle the body portion of said fuse member and having laterally extending projections slidably and pivotally engaging said grooves and an extension slidably engaging said base portion of said second clip on the opposite side of said projections from said fuse member encircling portion, so that as said sleeve member is displaced from a first location in which said fuse member encircling portion is disposed intermediate said clips and said projections are spaced from the ends of said grooves remote from said base portion of said second clip to a second location remote from the first location, said extension will slide on said base portion of said second clip thereby causing said projections to slide in said grooves away from said base portion of said second clip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 688,738 12/01 Jones 2001 14 1,158,535 11/15 Murray 200133 2,042,756 6/36 Wood 200113 2,617,847 11/52 Cole 200114 2,794,093 5/57 Morschel 200-104 FOREIGN PATENTS 727,057 1/31 France. 119,225 8/59 Russia.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Examiner. 

1. A FUSE ASSEMBLY FOR A TUBULAR TYPE FUSE MEMBER HAVING A CYLINDRICALLY SHAPED BODY PORTION AND A PAIR OF TERMINAL END PORTIONS, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN INSULATING MEMBER HAVING A SUPPORTING SURFACE, FIRST AND SECOND ALIGNED, SPACED-APART CLIPS EACH INCLUDING A BASE PORTION MOUNTED ON SAID SURFACE AND A PAIR OF SPRING METAL LEGS EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID SURFACE FROM SAID BASE PORTION TO FORM A U-SHAPED SPRING CLIP MEMBER, SAID U-SHAPED SPRING CLIP MEMBERS POSITIONED RELEASABLY TO ENGAGE THE TERMINAL END PORTIONS OF SAID FUSE MEMBER, THE LEGS OF SAID U-SHAPED CLIP MEMBER OF SAID SECOND CLIP HAVING CONFRONTING GROOVES ELONGATED LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID LEGS, AND AN INSULATING SLEEVE MEMBER HAVING A PORTION TO ENCIRCLE THE BODY PORTION OF SAID FUSE MEMBER AND HAVING LATERALLY EXTENDING PROJECTIONS SLIDABLY AND PIVOTALLY ENGAGING SAID GROOVES AND AN EXTENSION SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID BASE PORTION ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID PROJECTIONS FROM SAID FUSE MEMBER ENCIRCULING, PORTION, SO THAT AS SAID SLEEVE MEMBER IS DISPLACED FROM A FIRST LOCATION IN WHICH SAID FUSE MEMBER ENCIRCLING PORTION IS DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE SAID CLIPS AND SAID PROJECTIONS ARE SPACED FROM THE ENDS OF SAID GROOVES REMOTE FROM SAID BASE PORTION OF SAID SECOND CLIP TO A SECOND LOCATION REMOTE FROM THE FIRST LOCATION, SAID EXTENSION WILL SLIDE ON SAID BASE PORTION OF SAID SECOND CLIP THEREBY CAUSING SAID PROJECTIONS TO SLIDE IN SAID GROOVES AWAY FROM SAID BASE PORTION OF SAID SECOND CLIP. 